Ellie's Legacy (20 page)

She trembled in his arms, partly from the cold, but mostly
from revulsion. She looked away, not wanting to see his taunting mug.

He grabbed her chin and whipped her face forward. “Don’t
turn away from me. Just because you’re a high and mighty Fountain, you’re no
better than I am.”

She spat at him. Droplets of spittle ran down his chin.

Jeb shoved her away and slapped her so hard that the mass of
curls Cook had secured at the back of her head fell free and spilled to her
shoulders. A searing flame burned beneath her left cheek and tears welled in her
eyes.

She glared at him with all the hatred she could muster and
pulled herself up to her full height while trying to mask her fear.

Painful fingers bit into her flesh as Jeb pulled her toward
the cabin. She was no match for his strength, and fighting him was useless. For
now, she’d play along until the time was right to make a move. There had to be
a way to gain her freedom and she was desperate to find it.

How absurd that the mystery deed flashed through her mind,
giving her more reason to fight. Curiosity might kill her, but Jeb Bryant
wasn’t going to.

* * * * *

Ty pushed his hat back and rubbed his throbbing forehead.
Where else could he look? If he was a child, he’d sit down and cry in
frustration.

The street had emptied quickly when the dance ended, and
there was not another soul to be seen. A light snow began to fall, causing him
even more concern for Ellie. She wasn’t dressed for winter weather. There was
no other choice but to involve the Sheriff.

Going home without Ellie wasn’t an option. Ben would be
furious, and rightfully so. He had asked Ty to escort his daughter to keep her
safe. It didn’t matter that Ty was more than pleased to comply. This whole
thing was his fault. He shouldn’t have danced with Clare Smith no matter how
she insisted. His attention should have been fully devoted to Ellie. He wanted
to kick himself.

He left the buggy tied in front of the livery and hurried to
the Sheriff’s office. His heavy footfall against the wooden walkway echoed in
the silence. The once dirt thoroughfare of Main Street now bore a coat of white
that sparkled in the sporadic moonlight.

Ty snuggled down inside his jacket and prayed wherever Ellie
was she was warm. He burst into the office. “Sheriff, you’ve got to help me.”
The barred doors stood open and the cells empty.

A dozing Andrew Gamble dropped his propped feet from the
desk and bolted upright in his chair. “Jesus, Ty, what’s wrong?”

“It’s Ellie. She’s disappeared and I can’t find her.”

“Disappeared? When, how?” He wiped the sleep from his eyes.

“She got her feathers ruffled at the dance, and the last I
heard, she went outside for a breath of air. She never came back.”

“What happened to upset her?”

“Me. I danced with another gal.”

Gamble sighed and leaned back. “Is that all? She’s teaching
you a lesson. She probably caught a ride home with someone else. I’m sure
you’re frettin’ over nothin’.”

Ty’s brow arched. “You really think so?”

“I’d bet you a day’s wages. A jealous woman is worse than a
case of poison ivy.”

“Maybe you’re right. I just hate to go home and face Ben if
Ellie isn’t there.”

“She’ll be there, or she’ll turn up afore long. Trust me.”

“But…”

The Sheriff rounded his desk and rested a hand on Ty’s
shoulder. “If by some chance I’m mistaken, you hightail it back and we’ll get a
search party together; but I’m bettin’ that she’s already home having a good
laugh at your expense.”

The picture the Sheriff painted made Ty’s blood boil. If
Ellie was back at the ranch, she was gonna get an ear full from him.

* * * * *

The cabin door creaked loudly when Jeb opened it. Ellie’s
upper arm throbbed where his fingers embedded themselves in her skin. He flung
her through the open portal with such force she lost her balance and pitched
forward onto a bed.

Dazed, she sat up and pinched her nose to block the smell of
rising dust. Surely a long time had passed since anyone had used the place.

“How do you like your new home?” Jeb jeered.

In the cloaked moonlight it was hard to see much of
anything, but this was not her home. It never would be. Her insides trembled
but she held her chin high and glared up at him. “I’m only here until someone
finds me.”

“Don’t hold your breath,” he spat. “There’s no way anybody’s
gonna find this place. Even if they had a clue I took you, thanks to the snow,
there aren’t any tracks to follow.”

Cold air blasted through the open door. Ellie shivered and
fought the growing lump in her throat and stifled a sob. Jeb was right, but she
wasn’t about to show defeat. Someone had to find her, they just had to.

Her chin drooped to her chest until she remembered she was a
Fountain and raised her head up with pride. There was no way she was going to
give Jeb the satisfaction of being a whipped pup.

“What? No smart comeback?” He lit the kerosene lamp and
slammed the door shut.

Ellie bit her lip and turned her face away.

The log walls of the cabin were bare except for a shelf in
the far corner where a few canned goods stood. Dead insects dangled in the
cobwebs crisscrossing the corners and provided winter fodder for the trap’s
creators. Ellie shivered, thinking about the spiders hiding somewhere in the
room. She wanted to laugh, worrying about something she could step on. The
biggest threat stood right in front of her.

Her hands felt gritty from the nasty bedding. She brushed
her palms together, stood and turned her gaze back to her captor. “What exactly
do you think you’re going to accomplish by this?”

Jeb looked at her leeringly and licked his lips. “Oh, I have
plans for you, don’t worry. The main reason you’re here is to convince your Pa
he wants to sell Fountainhead.”

Ellie threw her head back and forced a laugh before
responding to his inane plot. “You’re an empty-headed fool if you think this is
going to work. Once you let it be known you’ve abducted me, the Sheriff is
going to arrest you. You can’t cart a body off like this. It’s wrong.”

“Well, I don’t think the Sheriff is gonna be involved, at
least where I’m concerned. No one is going to suspect me. Everyone knows Josh
and I go everywhere together. Remember, I sent him back to the crowd with
instructions to make himself seen. People will assume I was still at the dance
when the darling Ms. Ellie Fountain disappeared. If I remember correctly, you
came outside all alone. No one followed you. I was just mindin’ my own
business, having a smoke when you interrupted me. Of course, I have to admit
you made my plan a whole lot easier.” His laughter filled the cabin’s
hollowness.

“But, you were alone up on the mountain when I was doing
target practice.” She clutched at anything to make him re-think his actions.

“Yeah, but evidently nobody knows that but me and you. That
was a rare occasion, and one I rather enjoyed.” He stepped toward her. His
lustful gaze stirred a feeling of nausea in the pit of her stomach.

Ellie glanced around the room, searching for something with
which to defend herself. There was nothing. She inched backwards until the bed
blocked her path, her heavy heartbeat echoing in her head. She swallowed the
lump in her throat, and hoping her voice didn’t tremble, pressed her palms
against his chest and glared up at him.

“Jeb Bryant, if you dare touch me you’ll die, and that’s a
promise. It may take time but somehow, somewhere, I will kill you myself.”

Chapter Seventeen

Oblivious to the cold, Ty snapped the reigns against the
mare’s back, urging her to move faster. As the buggy bounced across the rutted
trail, an occasional snowflake drifted inside, reminding him how cold Ellie
might be. It wasn’t safe to push the horse to a full trot in clouded darkness,
but he was lost in thought and in a hurry to get home. His mind whirred around
as quickly as the spokes in the wheels. He prayed he’d find her when he
arrived, but dreaded she might not be there.

How would he explain this whole business to Ben? Even if
Ellie had come home on her own, Ty still had to face his boss and answer any
questions he had. He heaved a huge sigh, wondering how.

Before he realized it, the large “F” on the ranch gate
loomed overhead. His breath quickened in anticipation as he drove beneath it.

Light from the house filtered out into the compound, but
there were no strange rigs parked there. Maybe whoever brought her home had
already left. His eyes looked to heaven, hoping, praying.

He steered the buggy into the barn. Normally, his compassion
for animals would have driven him to un-harness the mare and brush her down,
but his need to find out about Ellie took priority. He headed for the kitchen
door. He paused on the porch and took a deep breath before entering.

Cook stood at the stove, putting ingredients into a big pot
on the stove. She turned, wiped her hands on her spotted apron and smiled
warmly. “Well, I wondered when you young ‘uns would get home. Ben and I waited
up so you could tell us all about the dance.”

Ty’s heartbeat ceased for a moment, and he swallowed hard
before asking the obvious, “Ellie’s not home?”

Cook’s brow furrowed. “Isn’t she with you?”

“I was hopin’ I would find her here.”

“What on earth happened?” Cook asked, sinking down onto a nearby
kitchen chair.

“We had a little fallin’ out and she disappeared. I looked
everywhere I could think before I came back to the ranch.”

“Maybe she went home with Betty Jo,” Cook said, looking
hopeful.

“No, Betty Jo was there with me. She said Ellie stepped
outside. I searched but couldn’t find her.”

Cook clasped her hands together and peered up at Ty.
“Oh, dear.
Where could she be? It’s freezing outside.”

He shook his head, his chin dropping to his chest. “I don’t
know. I’m stumped.”

Taking a big breath and loudly exhaling, he lifted his head.
“I’ve got to tell Ben. Where is he?”

“In the parlor.”

The thought of facing Ben turned Ty’s mouth as dry as
cotton. He paused in the doorway, licked his lips and swallowed in an attempt
to muster up enough saliva to speak. How did one tell a father you misplaced
his daughter? “Ben, I need to speak to you.” Ty’s crackling voice betrayed his
forced bravery.

The older man turned his attention away from the latest copy
of the Sparta Gazette and peered over the spectacles resting precariously on
the bridge of his nose. “What’s the matter, Ty? You look as though you just
robbed the bank.”

Ty swallowed again. “I wished I had. It would be easier to
explain given my state of finances, but…I came home without Ellie.” He blurted it
out before his courage faltered. “She left the dance and I couldn’t find her
anywhere. I didn’t know what else to do. The Sheriff had me convinced that she
had probably already come home.”

The wrinkles in Ben’s aged brow deepened. He stood, and
swept the room with his hand. His voice faltered. “Well, as you can see, she
isn’t here. What in tarnation happened?”

“I’m not sure myself. I shared a dance with another gal and
reckon I riled Ellie’s temper. The next thing I knew, she was madder than a wet
hen and wouldn’t have anything to do with me. Betty Jo said Ellie went out for
a breath of air, but she didn’t come back. I looked everywhere, Ben, and there
was no sign of her. What else could I have done?”

Ben ran his fingers through his mane of gray hair. “Lordy,
that girl will be the death of me. I should never have forced her into goin’ to
that blasted dance.”

“It wasn’t your fault, Ben. She wanted to go. It was me. I
should never have danced with someone else.”

The older man plopped back down in his chair and looked
helplessly up at Ty. “It don’t matter whose fault it is at this point. We need
to find her. Did you say you talked to the Sheriff?”

“Yep, he told me to come on back to the ranch…that Ellie was
probably here having a good laugh at my expense. Damn, I wish that was true.”

“So do I, but—”

“Don’t worry, Ben. I’ll find her. Sheriff Gamble told me to
come back to town if she wasn’t here, and he’d get a posse together to search
for her.”

“Well, you aren’t going by yourself. Let me get my boots on
and I’ll ride back into Sparta with you.” He started to rise.

Ty put a hand on Ben’s shoulder and gently pressed him back
into his chair. “I think you should stay here. Ellie might come home or send
word and you should be here if that happens. Besides, it’s cold outside and you
just got over a bout of the ague.”

“Maybe you’re right…” Ben chewed his bottom lip and appeared
lost in thought. Finally he looked up at
Ty,
and with
a hopeful tone in his voice, asked, “Are you sure she didn’t go home with a
friend?”

“I’m not sure about anything at this point. I just know she
didn’t go home with Betty Jo. There probably isn’t much we can do before sunup.
It’ll take a while to gather the men, but I’ll bed down in town so I’ll be
there to get an early start.”

Ben’s eyes narrowed with worry. “What about the Bryants?
Were they there?”

“I saw Joshua talking with a gal when I was looking for
Ellie. And you know where one Bryant twin is, the other isn’t far away.”

“Well, at least that’s a relief.”

Ty turned in the doorway. “Like I said, I’ll find her Ben. I
promise.”

* * * * *

Ellie stood defiantly, staring at Jeb. “I mean it. You back
off or else.”